Intermittent
by Autumn Win-Dow
Summary: Everyone in Alice Academy knew about Sakura Mikan, the heroine of the Alice Academy War seven years ago. "Even if anyone tried, no one would be able to replace Mikan. Something like this wouldn't change anything. Unlike her Alice, our bond isn't intermittent." Listening to those words, I knew for sure that they would see her again. Fate wouldn't allow otherwise. I was sure of it.


**Intermittent**

_Everyone in Alice Academy knew about Sakura Mikan, the heroine of the Alice Academy War seven years ago. "Even if anyone tried, no one would be able to replace Mikan. Something like this wouldn't change anything. Unlike her Alice, our bond isn't intermittent." Listening to those words, I knew for sure that they would see her again. Fate wouldn't allow otherwise._

* * *

**One**

"Kaori-chan, the Alice Festival is going to start soon! Hurry!" My frantic friend Tsubaki lost her patience, storming into my dorm and pulling me by the arm as I was putting the final touches of eyeliner on.

"Wait, I'm almost done…!" I struggled against her tight grip, in an attempt to move back in front of my mirror.

"It's perfectly fine! Would you rather lack a millimetre of eyeliner for one day, or be punished by Jinno-sensei again?!" Her protest was followed by another strong pull away from the mirror.

"What do you think?! I don't care about Jinno-sensei, I need it perfect for when I see Yoichi-kun later!" Yoichi-kun was a boy in my class in the Middle School Division, and I had a small crush on him.

Only a small one.

"Who cares about what Yoichi thinks?! This is a rare chance to see Nogi-senpai and Hyuuga-senpai in the _flesh_!" I finally managed to apply that last millimetre of eyeliner, and before I knew it I had been pulled out of my dorm, feeling my legs lift from the ground as Tsubaki - with her Super Speed Alice - managed to arrive at the school assemble within fifteen seconds.

"Tsubaki-chan, don't do that all of a sudden! Just because of the senpai…" I complained as my smoothed out my mahogany hair which had been messed up by the wind - rather, the speed. Hearing no reply, I looked around to see that she had disappeared from my sight, most likely having left for the Latent Ability area by now. Lucky for me, the Somatic Ability class area was within my sight, though I was required to push through the irritant crowd - mostly the serious-minded Technical students - to join my classmates.

"Kaori-chan, you're late. What were you up to?" Shouda Sumire asked me, sounding quite annoyed. She was usually one who didn't associate with her 'underlings', but due to our similarity in Alice besides Alice Type she wished to help me train my Morph Alice, the ability to fully transform into any animal. Though she was a bit haughty, she was one of my favourite senpai.

"I'm sorry, Sumire-senpai. I was getting ready." She sighed softly as she focused her attention to the student council.

"No matter, you're here now. The assembly's starting now." I followed her actions, watching the four members of the council walk up on stage. Tobita Yuu, the Latent Ability representative and the Student Council President, was the schools' role model - he displayed responsibility and respect in every way, thus he was well suited for his high ranked position. However, his Illusion Alice was apparently part of the Haunted House the Latent Ability students had prepared, so I wasn't particularly sure if his Alice was similar to his personality.

He was then followed up the stage by the Vice President and Technical representative, 'Ice Queen' Imai Hotaru. Her face was as cold as always, with her short black hair barely wisping against her shoulders shining in the sunlight. She was one of the jewels of Alice Academy, with her Technical Alice displaying her mind of a genius. According to rumours, however, there was a time when she was even colder to others, more than six years ago - surprisingly as an Elementary student.

One of my other close senpai, the Special Star Somatic representative Nogi Ruka, was also present. He was a popular senpai among the Middle School Division - his princely looks capturing the hearts of many females, including Tsubaki-chan. He was also the reasons why many animals as well as people were present at the assembly, with his love of animals complimenting his Animal Pheromone Alice.

The last Special star senpai who appeared on stage was the Dangerous Ability class' Hyuuga Natsume. Without a doubt he was a mystery to me. He always appeared nonchalant, which was odd seeming that he was a Council member, and he had an exceeding strong Fire Alice which forced him into the Dangerous Ability class.

I wasn't a clueless thirteen year-old, nonetheless, as I knew the story - the story of the missing Special Ability representative. Rumours say that their grade did not have any representatives from the Special Ability Class, let alone Special Star ones. But there _was _one student who had been in the class years ago, but left because her Alice Type was Intermittent.

Everyone in Alice Academy knew about Sakura Mikan, the heroine of the Alice Academy War seven years ago. How she, with the current Student Council, had been a contributing factor to the outcome of war at the age of twelve, barely finishing elementary. She was apparently the owner of three Alices, the two I was aware of being the Nullification Alice and the Stealing Alice.

As the Student Council were in their final year at Alice Academy, their grade was most likely the only group of students who knew who she looked like. Everyone always wondered who she really was to the Council, what she looked like, everything that wasn't mentioned in the story. Tobita-senpai's voice interrupted me out of my musings, and his speech started the Alice Festival.

* * *

**Two**

"Aaah! It's scary! Get it away from me!" I felt the circulation in my arm being restrained by Tsubaki's iron grip. "W-Why are we even here?!"

"You _were _the one who wanted to come in here. Why do you even ask?" I sighed, when all of a sudden a ghost reached out from the wall… hence more screaming.

"Kyaaa! I'm leaving!" Tsubaki squealed, and in a matter of seconds she had disappeared from my sight, leaving me alone in the haunted mansion. _Seriously, _I internally sighed to myself as I continued through the dark hallway decorated with antique paintings. I felt something slither around my leg, like a hand.

My breath hitched, but did not emit a scream. "That startled me…" That was when I heard a familiar voice.

"Jeez, Imai! Why did you bring me to this place?! It was scary enough during elementary!" _Sumire-senpai? _As I reached a turn in the hallway, I shyly glanced behind the wall to see Sumire-senpai with… the Council?

"There was no way I was going to come in here with these two idiots. As a female, I would be worried." Imai Hotaru spoke in a monotone, as Ruka-senpai laughed nervously.

"Imai-san, we wouldn't do that-"

"True. In fact, I don't know why I decided to bring yet another idiot with me instead of someone rational in the mind. I cannot believe the incident with you and Jinno-sensei years ago passed my mind." I pursed my lips as I watched the four converse - well, _three _to be precise as Hyuuga-senpai was not paying attention in the slightest. His expression was bored, like he was during the assembly, but I could sense some slight nostalgia.

"Seriously, I thought you were smart, Imai! You're a special star and ev-"

_BANG!_

I immediately gripped the corner of the wall to prevent myself from falling from the shock. _What was that…? _I looked back at the group, but to my surprise Sumire-senpai was on the floor, probably due to the high-tech gun in Imai-senpai's hand. _Don't tell me… this is one of her inventions?! _

"You shouldn't have said that Shouda. You were asking for it." Sumire-senpai did not argue, instead standing up from the blow and looking at the three with a solemn expression.

"And I was going to meet up with Koko today, as well… seriously you shouldn't have invited me, Imai. This isn't my place at all. I don't belong to this group… this place is for her." There was an eerie silence between the four, followed by an old lady's ghost emerging from the ground. I was becoming tense, since even Sumire-senpai had not flinched from its appearance.

"You're talking about Sakura, aren't you?" Ruka-senpai asked in a soft tone, and she nodded once meekly. _Sakura-san? Meaning Sakura Mikan?_

"Of course. Who else?" She sighed once, tucking her seaweed green hair behind her ear, and continued. "It was you four in the beginning, anyway. Sakura Mikan, Hyuuga Natsume, Imai Hotaru, Nogi Ruka. The legendary quartet from the elementary division who fought in the Alice War. No one could ever break the bond that your four had. I feel out of place, standing here in Mikan's position. Sure, I was jealous of her in the old days, but now I know of my childish thoughts back then. No matter how much I tried back then, your friendship was unbreakable." Sumire-senpai displayed an expression which I had never expected from her. Her eyes were filled with certainty, and I knew for a fact that she wasn't faking such an expression.

"Shouda-sa-" Ruka tried to address her, but Hyuuga-senpai started to walk forward, avoiding all contact. As he stopped next to Sumire-senpai, a small flame arose near one of her curly strands. She squealed in shock, patting the fire away.

"You're an idiot, Permy." He stated blatantly as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "And a hypocrite, too. You yourself said that you couldn't replace Mikan, so why would you be able to now?" Sumire-senpai realised what she had said, and flushed in embarrassment. "Even if anyone tried, no one would be able to replace Mikan. Something like this wouldn't change anything. Unlike her Alice, our bond isn't intermittent." I gasped slightly at his words. I had never expected Hyuuga Natsume to be capable of saying such words, let alone words regarding a girl - as well as a _pun _of all things. I tried to creep back, when out of nowhere I heard the squeak of a rat behind me.

"Eek!" I shrieked, and I hastily covered my mouth. _Crap… _I hoped that they didn't hear me, but to no avail when Imai-senpai was suddenly in front of me.

"I- er… well, I was just passing-" I began to hesitate. _Damn._

"You were eavesdropping, weren't you?" She began to load her gun, resulting in me shrinking away from her pale, but menacing disposition. However, my saviour Ruka-senpai appeared within my sight.

"Kaori-chan?" He seemed to notice Imai-senpai about to shoot me, and he gently restrained her with one hand on her thin shoulder. "Imai, don't do it. She didn't mean to, right Kaori-chan?" He glanced at me, expecting me to answer. It was unfortunate, since I was fully depending on him to save my soul. Thus, the pressure on my shoulders had brutally returned.

"Well- yeah, of course… I didn't mean to eaves drop, it wasn't a suitable time to interrupt!" I hastily explained to the scary senpai, who seemed to believe me, judging from the gun suddenly collecting itself into a smaller gun, which she slipped behind her jacket.

"Well, it can't be helped. But you won't be so lucky next time." I unconsciously gulped at her threatening tone. Despite their conversation earlier, I couldn't comprehend how a gentle-minded person like Ruka-senpai was good friends with the 'Ice Queen' Imai Hotaru, and if Hyuuga Natsume was as violent and indifferent as he was, I really wondered what type of personality Sakura Mikan had.

"Kaori-chan, what are you doing? It still would've been better of you had just passed by." Sumire-senpai complained, continuing to fix her faintly burnt hair.

"You two know this girl?" Imai-senpai turned to my Somatic seniors. "Perhaps she was influenced by you two."

"She's a fellow Somatic Ability student, our kouhai." The sound of chatter was heard from where I had come from before I listened to the rather dramatic conversation. "It seems like we're clogging up the line a little. We should leave." Ruka-senpai patted my back as he lead me out, followed by Sumire-senpai and Imai-senpai. Hyuuga-senpai, however, did not follow.

"Hyuuga. Are you coming? Or you're going to think of that idiot while you're in here, as always." Imai-senpai addressed him, and I could vaguely hear the joking tone in her voice. _What's there to muse about in a haunted mansion? _"I see." I continued to wonder about Hyuuga-senpai and his strange antics as I exited the mansion.

* * *

**Three**

"Seriously, I'm still annoyed at you, Kaori-chan." Sumire-senpai growled as she braided my hair - which had been treated with super hair growth serum - with extra strength. I felt tugs every second, thus my head had been pulled back along with my hair every time.

"Don't blame her, Shouda-san. I'm sure she didn't mean it." Ruka, being the gentleman he was, defended me. "Though it isn't pleasant of know that she heard it all, she shouldn't be at fault." I looked down in remorse, hearing that Ruka-senpai wasn't exactly happy about it, either.

"You're too nice, Ruka-kun. That's the problem with you, honestly." She scolded him, who in turn expressed his awkward feelings. "Fine, I'll forgive her. As long as..." Suddenly, I felt her hand grab onto the top of my head, sharply pulling it upright. "...she keeps her head straight!"

"Ah… sorry." My mind wandered back to the conversation before. "Um… if you don't mind, may I ask a question?"

"Is it about what you heard before?" Sumire asked sharply as she pulled my hair with more force. I was surprised that my hair hadn't been ripped out yet.

"Err…" I hesitated, but it was enough for her to confirm my answer.

"Of course, I don't mind just telling you everything, since you know a little. I honestly don't know why I want to explain our precious childhood to a clueless kouhai who merely overheard our conversation."

"You just admitted it as mere, Shouda-san." Ruka-senpai pointed out, causing her to pause mid-braid and cuss under her breath. "And don't swear in front of Kaori-chan, no matter how much she's used to it." It wasn't a lie. Sumire-senpai swore like no tomorrow when she was angry - which was very often.

"Whatever. What do you want to know?" She asked, her fingers continuing to bind my hair.

"Well… I've heard the stories about Sakura Mikan. How she was captured by the Elementary School Principal at the time because of her Stealing Alice, and how she escaped to fight Z and the Fuukitai. Us Middle School Division students view her as a legend in Alice history, but I was wondering… who is Sakura Mikan, exactly?" Ruka-senpai was evidently in thought when he had heard my question.

"Well, you could know her as many things. She was usually the sunshine in the classroom, the one who always smiled and loved you for who you were." I was stunned by his response - so with the princely Nogi Ruka, the stoic Imai Hotaru, and the indifferent Hyuuga Natsume, there was the enigmatic Sakura Mikan. It somehow reminded me of the four seasons by the way they all contrasted with each other. Yet they were the best of friends even after seven years.

Too bad Sumire-senpai chose to ruin the mood. "Dumb. Loud. Annoying. Too optimistic." She was rather blunt with her words. "But that's what made her important. She was the one who turned our class into a group of friends, even though she had transferred in late. Sakura never gave up, and she even cared for those who didn't really like her… like me back then when we were kids." _Eh? Senpai hated Sakura Mikan? _"Now, she's the one I admire. I doubt I'd be as courageous as her." She sighed, with a soft smile on her face, most likely her reminiscing. "And there's a few more - well, you could call them classifications." I nodded at Sumire-senpai's explanation before she told me something that blew my mind. "Single Star."

"Eh? Are you-"

"Almost Dangerous Ability."

"Huh?"

"High School Principal's niece."

"What?! No way-"

"Imai's best friend." I fell silent as Ruka-senpai interrupted, telling me that fact. Judging from what my senpai described her as, she and Imai-senpai were polar opposites. Yin and Yang. "You're confused? Well, it's to be expected. You saw her Moron Gun 8400?" I nodded, shivering at the threatening image of the metal weapon. "She was hit more than daily with that. That's what made them the best of friends, and how Imai showed her love." _So Imai-senpai isn't as cold as everyone makes her out to be…_ Before I knew it, Sumire-senpai continued with her 'classifications'.

"Hana Hime Princess."

"Wow-"

"Daughter of a former Z member."

"Serious-"

"The girl Ruka-kun loves." _Eh?! _I turned to Ruka-senpai, whose face was starting to flush - I had never seen my senpai so embarrassed before.

"Shouda! Why did you tell her that?" Flustered, he raised his voice at her. She was unfazed, however.

"It was a classification, and if the Sumire from the past can't profess her love so confidently, why can't you?"

"You were a fan girl!"

"_Your _fan girl."

"Seriously, you've changed."

"Of course. Did you really think I'd keep that childish crush going for seven years?" She asked him with humoured tone, which caused him to slit his eyes. I was trying to recover from the shock of seeing the Academy's 'Prince' in such a state, and his current expression was telling me that Sumire-senpai's question had bothered him.

Sumire-senpai seemed to figure it out, as well.

"No way… you still-"

"Like her? Of course I do. Perhaps not as high of a scale, but I still do." He turned away, embarrassed. "Not that I'd do anything, anyway." I was flabbergasted by his question. _Why wouldn't Sakura Mikan accept his love? He was handsome, kind, everything you'd want in a boyfriend! _

"Of course you wouldn't." Sumire-senpai exhaled, understanding what he was talking about, unlike me.

"What? Why wouldn't you?" I felt the pulls on my hair weaken, and Sumire-senpai's hand was on my shoulder.

"Well, there's one last classification I didn't tell you about."

"What is it?"

"...Hyuuga Natsume's girlfriend." _Oh my god._

_"Even if anyone tried, no one would be able to replace Mikan. Something like this wouldn't change anything. Unlike her Alice, our bond isn't intermittent."_

No wonder his words were so deeply expressed through his bored tone. The reason why Ruka-senpai couldn't date her was that his best friend was, instead. Did Hyuuga-senpai know? Did Sakura Mikan know?

"Even if my feelings for her are still the same… I wouldn't date her. She would never feel the same way." I felt upset for one of my cherished senpai, for the pain of your love not reciprocating was disastrous, indeed. Especially when she loved your best friend, instead. "But… I'm not jealous of Natsume."

"Why not?"

"He needed her more than I did. And I know that she needed him, too. That time was a dark time for them both. And even though he loved the same girl that I did, he's my best friend." At that moment my admiration for Nogi Ruka had increased by a mile, as well as my newfound admiration for Sakura Mikan. He spoke with a hint of a smile on his face. "I'm happy knowing that he's happy… but what I'm surprised with was his mood the day she left the Academy."

"Who wasn't surprised, Ruka-kun? On the last day of the Alice Academy War, Natsume-kun was dying from blood loss. It was that day when Sakura lost all of her Alices - including her secret third Alice, the Insertion Alice." _Insertion Alice? So this must be the rumoured third Alice… _"It's the opposite to the Stealing Alice, in which she can insert Alice stones instead of extract them. She used all of her power to save Natsume-kun that day, for the cost of her Alices…" I couldn't speak, comprehending the fact that not only had she helped save the sanity and peace of the Academy, but she had also saved her boyfriend's life by exchanging her life in the Academy. That was when I thought to myself,

_Sakura Mikan was an amazing person. A legend in my eyes._

* * *

**Four**

_Mikan had been allowed to stay for two weeks while she recovered from her injuries. Her uncle had wished for her to stay in the Academy, but the strict guidelines were that no non-Alice was to stay in the Academy permanently. She had assured him that it was alright, since she knew he - as the High School Principal - should not neglect the rules just because she was his niece. Natsume had barely survived due to her final insertion, and Mikan had never guessed that her Alice Shape was Intermittent, like Hoshio Hoshino, who she had farewelled months ago. _

_On the day she was due to leave, she sat by Natsume's hospital bed. He was unconscious, and unfortunately he hadn't woken up to say goodbye. Mikan felt guilt-ridden, as he was unaware of her losing her Alice to this day, and now she was leaving without a word. She grasped his callused hand in her own, as she bent over him for a light kiss. It was short, and she drew back with tears spilling from her brown eyes._

_"I'm sorry, Natsume. I love you." She whispered to the unconscious boy, and trudged away from his body - but what she didn't know was that her touch had somehow awoken his senses._

_As she stood just mere metres from the impounding gate of the Academy which she had daringly entered two years ago, a montage of her memories at school went through her mind. _

_She had come to Alice Academy willingly because she wanted to be with her best friend, Hotaru, thus stealing all of her grandfather's funds to do so. __**Now that I think about it, I'll be seeing Grandpa again. **__She smiled at the thought that he would be waiting for her at the village which she was previously schooled in. The shabby, small school, unlike Alice Academy - who did not let any student leave under any circumstances besides the Top Student Award. _

_She had first met Natsume as he tried to escape by creating an explosion, to no avail. Then as she was watching him when she had entered the Academy, he had bullied her by stealing her polka-dotted underwear. Mikan smiled, knowing that she would really miss the exciting and not-so-exciting times she had with Hotaru, Ruka, Sumire, Koko, Tsubasa, Misaki, Tono…_

_...and Natsume. Especially Natsume._

_Even though they had immediately become rivals, they had their fair share of romantic moments as a couple - when he kissed her in the Christmas Tree at her first Christmas Ball, as well as their rendezvous on the balcony when she was captured by the ESP during her second one. How many times they had kissed, she could no longer count. A part of her was in pain due to the fact that she was leaving her boyfriend, as well as her friends behind as a free girl. _

_"Mikan-chan!" The familiar voices of her two close friends, Anna and Nonoko, approached as they simultaneously hugged her. "We'll miss you so much!" Mikan felt tears escaping her eyes when she realised that she may never see them again. All of her classmates and senpai had come out to say goodbye, and she shared words with every single one, even Sumire who she had thought didn't like her much. Tsubasa ruffled her hair, and even Yoichi had come out to hug her despite his similar demeanour to Natsume._

_Finally, she had reached two of the people she would miss most - Hotaru and Ruka._

_"Sakura-" Ruka was interrupted by a bear hug from Mikan, which made him blush evidently, causing the whole Watching Over Ruka Club to swoon at his embarrassment. _

_"Ruka-pyon…" Even after two years, Mikan still hadn't ceased calling him the cutesy nickname which he had mixed feelings for. However, he felt that Mikan, and Mikan only calling him that name was what made him content. "I'll miss you so much!" With shaky arms, he returned the hug._

_"Same here. It's going to be so different without you here, Sakura." Even he was about to break into tears, though he had tried to restrain them with all his might. She pulled back and patted his bunny with a bright smile despite her tears._

_"Please don't worry. I want you to continue in the school with high hopes. Natsume won't be doing missions anymore, as well. I'm sure it will be a better place… but the last thing to achieve it is for me to leave." Ruka opened his mouth to argue, but Mikan interrupted him before her could say anything. "My only wish is for you all to enjoy your life in the school as much as you can. Please, it's all I hope for." Mikan then turned to her best friend, Hotaru, who made no move to embrace her._

_"Hotaru…"_

_"You're an idiot." Mikan was caught off-guard by her remark._

_"Eh?"_

_"You think we'll never see each other again." She flinched, knowing that she was spot-on. __**Koko read my mind again, didn't he?**_

_"I didn't read your mind, Sakura-san. She figured it out herself." Koko interjected with his usual cheerful tone._

_Hotaru snorted at his words. "Of course I did. You're my best friend, I can read you like a book." She started to walk forward, and Mikan start to suspect another blow from her Moron Cannon. _

_But instead, she took out a handkerchief to clean her nose._

_"I'm not going to hug a girl with a drip-nose." Mikan nervously giggled as Hotaru cleaned the nasal muck from her nose. "This won't be the last time we see your smile, Mikan. It will be a long time, but we won't be separated forever. We're best friends, and I know where you live. So even if you tried, you wouldn't be able to escape." The spectators flinched at her words, undoubtedly finding her at that moment scary. __**Of course… what was I thinking? We'll definitely see each other again. It won't be the last time. **__While she was in thought, Hotaru pulled her closer for a hug. Mikan was surprised that she had initiated the hug, and she could feel her best friend's body tremble slightly._

_"I'll miss you, Mikan. More than you'll ever know." The waterworks had commenced once again, and to the shock of their audience a few tears had escaped Hotaru's eyes as well. They pulled back simultaneously, though Mikan wanted to hold on forever. She glanced at the hospital wing, where Natsume was still unconscious. She really wanted to stay until he woke up, but the guidelines were strict. _

_Mikan wanted to leave as a rule-abider._

* * *

**Five**

_Narumi appeared beside her. He was the teacher assigned to take her home, to Mikan's relief. She would miss her beloved homeroom teacher too, as he was like her father in the academy. However, since he was a teacher, he could visit her sometimes._

_"Ready, Mikan-chan?" He asked, and she was about to nod when Ruka interrupted._

_"Wait, you're not going to say goodbye to Natsume?"_

_"I already have." Ruka's eyes were evidently saddened by the fact that Natsume wasn't aware of anything, especially Mikan's Alice. Mikan waved with small motions, and she turned away from the Academy, about to exit the grounds for good._

_"Mikan!" Her movements froze mid-step. Was her mind deceiving her? She spun on her heel to see Natsume, awake, from a distance. He was in his hospital wear, with a set of crutches supporting him. His face was evidently expressing his pain from leaving the bed as soon as he had woken up._

_"N-Natsume?! What are you doing?! I thought you were sleeping!" She quickly walked away from the gates to support his body._

_"I just woke up, Mikan. What are __**you **__doing?! The first thing I find when I wake up is you about to exit the school gates! What's going on?!" He asked her, raising his voice gradually regardless of the pain. Mikan smiled, but it was a smile of contentment as she told him what had happened._

_"I lost my Alice. It turns out my Alice Shape is Intermittent. So I can't be a student in Alice Academy anymore." Natsume felt his heart drop from her revelation. He couldn't comprehend the fact that she was leaving him, Hotaru, Ruka… everyone who loved her._

_"Isn't there any way you can stay here?!" The information was starting to claw at his chest. The stab wound was no longer a bother to him - it wasn't his concern at all._

_Mikan's remorse was starting to grow as she met his pained eyes, but she knew that escaping with him would have to be for another time. "_

_I can't. No non-Alice user can stay here permanently. You know that, Natsume." Like she had said, he did know that. His own sister Aoi had to leave the school for being a non-Alice. There was no way he could refute without sounding ignorant. "Natsume," She reached for the hand which dropped one of his crutches. As he squeezed her hand back, she pulled his hand towards her chest. "Take care of yourself. All I want is for you and everyone else to be happy in the Academy for the next few years. Please grant me that wish."_

_Natsume pulled his hand away from hers, misleading Mikan into thinking that he was angry at her. __**She's really grown. **__Instead, his hand slid up to tangle themselves in her long, chestnut locks._

_"You let your hair out today." He observed, smirking at the slight flush appearing on her cheeks. She had known that he liked her hair down the most._

_"W-Well, yeah. I just felt like it to-" Her hesitation had been interrupted by his hand pulling her head forward so he was in reach for a kiss. Everyone around them cheered, hooted and whistled at the scene before them. Of course, members of the Natsume-Ruka Fan Club started to complain, but were immediately silenced by their president Sumire, who was happy for the young couple. Narumi sighed, grinning as he murmured about young love nowadays. Anna and Nonoko squealed at the fortune of their friend, and started to jump in circles with joy. The pink tinge on Mikan's cheeks grew more prominent in colour as their audience hooted while watching Natsume kiss her. She was embarrassed at his public display of affection, but she couldn't stop. Though he was young, his kisses were intoxicating - she felt herself relax as her hands slid up to his shoulders and she started to return the kiss. Eventually, her embarrassment got the better of her and she was the one to pull back with hot cheeks. But she was still happy._

_"Natsume… we'll meet again one day. Maybe in a long time, but I'll wait. Will you?" Natsume couldn't help but smile back at his girlfriend. _

_"I'll wait forever if I have to." Delighted to hear him say those words, she embraced him one final time. They held onto each other like no tomorrow, and the teachers were stunned at what this young couple were capable of in romance. After a minute of being in Natsume's arms for the last time, she let go as she walked slowly towards the open gates._

_"Goodbye, Natsume. Goodbye, everyone." They were the last words she said before stepping over the thin line separating the school from society._

_She was free, at last._

* * *

**Six**

It was the midst of spring when the senior students were due to graduate. It was the average beautiful spring day, with the sakura trees blooming and the pink petals combing the wind gently. A few minus before the start of the ceremony, a certain raven-haired lad was sitting at the sakura tree which he often visited - _their _sakura tree.

"After this… I'll find her again." His plan was to leave as soon as the ceremony finished to find the address Hotaru had given him - Mikan's home. Even though it was such an important day, he didn't wear the tie - which was part of the uniform. He kept the top of his shirt unbuttoned, as usual, but after some convincing from Ruka he had agreed to wear the school jacket for good measure. He analysed the surroundings of the Academy, and he felt strange. It was the last day he would be in this academy as a student, the last day he sat underneath the tree which provided him with peace and quiet, the last day he was to be secluded in the place which he used to loathe many years ago.

But a part of him knew for sure that he was going to miss this place. Even though he hated it in elementary school, ever since _she _came to the school he had been enjoying himself more… and even after the day she left the academy for good, he had tried his best to fulfil her wish to be happy.

_I wonder how she looks like, seven years later. Did she ditch those pigtails? Did that flat chest of hers grow? _He wondered to himself in amusement, but he was still expecting something. He didn't know if Mikan had changed during their seven years of separation, if she was still the cheerful, childish person he fell in love with.

All he knew was that no matter what, he had waited and would love her eternally, and hopefully she would too.

"Natsume? The graduation ceremony is about to start." His best friend for almost nine years, Ruka, called out to him. _Well, it's about time._

Meanwhile, a taxi was driving barely under the speed limit towards the academy. Inside, a young woman with long, brown locks which reached her waist frantically leaned towards the driver's seat.

"Not fast enough! Hurry, I'm going to be late!" She shrieked as she looked back towards her watch - which told her that there was five minutes until the ceremony was to start.

"Woman, I'm going as fast as I can! I cannot break the road rules!" The old driver yelled back, only to see that she was tapping something into her phone. "Hey! Listen when someone's talking to you!" She brought the phone to her ear and waited for an answer as she tapped her foot impatiently.

When the other person answered the call, she sighed in relief. "Oh, Narumi-sensei!"

"_Mikan-chan, it's about to start. Where are you?_"

"I'm in a taxi, and the mean driver won't go fast enough!" She wailed, bobbing in her seat as she shot a sulky glare at the man in the driver's seat.

"Don't glare at me, you're the one trying to get me to break the road rules! I've been driving for twenty-three years, and I have a-"

"I need to get to a graduation ceremony to see the love of my life as well as my best friend forever! Do you not understand the importance of this?" The poor driver cringed at the fact that a grown woman was using phrases commonly used my elementary kids with illusions regarding eternity.

"Better late than never, this is my job! I can choose to kick you out right now." Upon hearing his threat, she swallowed in worry.

"Y-You wouldn't."

"You can't sue me, as a taxi driver I have rights too." She pouted at the driver's words, but she knew that if she was kicked out of the taxi that instant, she would be even later.

"F-Fine. Be like that." Finally, the driver had proven victorious against the former Alice. She held her phone near her ear once again to talk to her former teacher.

"N-Narumi-sensei… I think I'll be late." She didn't notice the smirk of the driver watching her finally admit her loss. Mikan heard a gentle sigh from the other side of the call.

"Well, it can't be helped. It's already started. I'll wait at the gates for you, okay?" She smiled at her teacher's kindness. The driver was stunned by her sudden mood swing.

"Thank you! I'll be there soon!" She snapped her phone shut and slipped it into her bag as the driver spoke again.

"We'll be there in less than ten minutes, so calm your farm." She exhaled lightly as she adjusted her hat. "So was that your teacher? I would think you would be there to graduate yourself, not be late while arriving in a taxi." Mikan blinked a few times at his attempt to make conversation.

"I already graduated from my school in the countryside. I used to attend Alice Academy years ago."

"The countryside? I never would've guessed, seeing as you're well dressed and all." She looked at her white summer dress and large hat adorned with pale green ribbons as he noted it out. "And why would you leave Alice Academy for a school there? If you went there in the first place you're probably one of those child geniuses, right?" Mikan bit her lip as he asked her that one question. _You would never know, driver sir. Never would you understand…_

"F-Family issues, I guess. They were kind enough to let me go." She stuttered slightly as she bluffed. She knew that the driver didn't believe her, but luckily for her he chose to ignore it.

"Love of your life, huh? That's weird, for such a young lady to be saying such a thing." He continued onto another sensitive topic. However, she was proud to talk about it to a stranger, even if she was in an argument with said stranger a few minutes ago regarding the speed limit. She smiled as far as her lips could go, thinking about Natsume once again. The driver sighed at the expression she was making from the mirror. "Wow, you really do like this lucky guy."

"Yeah… even though it's far-fetched, I've loved him for eight years. And I've never stopped loving him." The taxi driver was briefly put off-guard by her sudden weak tone as she spoke those words, but before he knew it she leaned towards his seat like a spring. "It's really romantic, isn't it? I'm going to see my love in the first time in seven years, at his graduation! It's like a love story!" She had returned immediately to her cheerful demeanour as she spoke with love-struck eyes and a flushed face about this boy she loved.

"Seven years? You're a pretty lass, you didn't ever think of dating any other guys your age?" She put some thought into the question, and she cocked her head in confusion.

"Why would I do that?" _Ah, this one's an airhead…_ Driver thought to himself. His old eyes could tell that though she looked like the most innocent person her age, she probably had her own fair share of drama too. Unlike other young people he was acquainted with, this girl was the type to spring back up after every bad event.

Before he knew it, the taxi had finally reached the academy gates, where a blonde man was leaning on the wall next to them.

"Well, we're here. That your teacher?" Mikan nodded vigorously as she pulled out some bills as the fare.

"Nice talking to you, driver sir. This is a tip." He usually didn't accept tips from passengers, but she had exited the taxi before he could argue. _Oh well, she's in a hurry anyway. _She waved at him gleefully before she was led into the gates by the blonde teacher. _She left seven years ago… she must be the heroine of the Alice War Shuichi told me about last year. The girl who lost all of her Alices, but remains in the hearts of the Gakuen Alice students. Sakura Mikan._

* * *

**Seven**

"I'm here, Narumi-sensei…!" She gasped as she reached him, having some difficulties due to the wind threatening to make her large hat fly away. There was no need to hug him, since he had come to see her two weeks prior. Instead, she was led by him into the gates which she hadn't been within for seven years. Nostalgia hit her like an impounding wave, but she ignored that feeling temporarily as she hurried towards the High School Division.

"Mikan-chan, we can't run there! Stop! We need to take the bus!" After hearing her teacher call out frantically, she wasted no time in turning back and running towards the mini-bus which she had taken on her first day in the academy. Even when she was in the bus, she was still bobbing in her seat.

"Relax, the Student Council graduates last. So you may be able to make it by then." She glanced at Narumi with worried eyes.

"You promise?" He was never the one who could resist the power of Mikan's innocent orbs staring at him. It was as if her eyes were a pheromone Alice themselves.

"O-Of course, Mikan-chan!" She seemed to believe him, as her body relaxed as she faced the window, looking at the Academy buildings.

"Hmm… Tsubasa-senpai was right. Nothing has really changed here…" She had stayed in contact with Tsubasa as well as his girlfriend Misaki and friend Kaname after they graduated from the Academy. They frequented her house to talk about how the school was faring, as well as her close friends. _In a few minutes… I'll be able to see Natsume, Hotaru, Ruka… everyone I love! I'm so excited! _She involuntarily let out a squeal at the thought, which Narumi chuckled at. _Mikan hasn't changed, either._

At long last, the graduation stage was in sight. Mikan could see from the bus that a pink-haired girl, Anna, was on the stage accepting her portfolio.

"Anna-chan! She's grown so much!" A part of Mikan wondered how the others had changed physically, especially Natsume and Hotaru. _Is Natsume still popular? Did Hotaru grow her hair out?_

As soon as the door of the bus opened automatically, she hopped out and ran as fast as she could in her low heels towards the stage. All the seats were full, so she opted to stand at the back as she watched the ceremony from a satisfactory view. The main disadvantage was that the wind was trying to blow her dress up as well as her hat, so she was required to hold them down as she watched the ceremony.

"Ogasawara Nonoko."

"Kokoro Yome."

"Usami Wakako."

"Shouda Sumire." She heard a puppy bark from next to her at the sound of Sumire's name. Curious as to why it barked, Mikan crouched next to it and nervously patted the white dog. It watched her curiously as she started to stroke his soft ears.

"That's right… Permy has the Cat-Dog Alice, so you like her. You really are a cute dog." She mumbled as she cracked a smile. The dog seemed to like the feeling of her fingers stroking its head, and its black eyes watched her expectantly. She turned back to the stage, where Sumire was accepting her portfolio and smiling at the camera. She didn't seem to see Mikan at all. "She's grown a lot, too… she looks so pretty." The puppy looked at her in curiosity as she murmured those words. Mikan wasn't bothered at all by the thought of talking to an animal though she wasn't Ruka. "Even after seven years, she still has those curls." She heard her uncle Kazumi announce the graduation of the Student Council. _That must be them… _She stood back up immediately, but she couldn't help but smile again at the cute dog who decided to sit next to her left foot, short tail wagging enthusiastically.

"Student Council President, Tobita Yuu." Mikan clapped enthusiastically as a older boy with light brown hair and glasses walked up the stage. _He was the first person from the class who was nice to me… _Like the others, he did not notice Mikan's presence at the back.

"Student Council Vice President, Imai Hotaru." She started to clap even louder for her best friend, who had indeed grown her hair out - but it barely brushed her shoulders. _She's beautiful… Hotaru! _With a serious face as always, she faced the camera with her portfolio. After the flash, Mikan didn't expect Hotaru to look up and meet her eyes. _S-She saw me?_ Mikan waved nervously with a grin at her best friend, and to her surprise she recognised a small smile on Hotaru's face in return before she left the stage.

"Nogi Ruka." Mikan gasped as a _prince _stepped up to accept his award. He had lost some of his feminine traits from his childhood, and now he appeared like the young monarch of a foreign nation. His jaded eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and he looked like he was much taller than Mikan, unlike elementary when they were about the same height. Unlike Hotaru, he didn't seem to see her either. Expectantly, she gripped her hat closer to her head as she waited for the man of whom she was most expecting.

He watched Ruka walk up the steps towards the High School Principal. Natsume's eyes had noticed something about Hotaru when she was about to leave the stage. He had seen a hint of a smile on her lips. Deciding that it was probably something that she was thinking about, she pushed the thought aside as he prepared to walk up himself.

"Hyuuga Natsume." _Here I go, _he thought to himself as he walked up to accept his portfolio from the teacher. He shook the teacher's hand and he also managed to grin as he faced the camera.

That was when he saw who he had least expected.

At the back, there was a female in a white summer dress. A large hat covered her eyes, but he knew exactly who this girl was from the wavy brown hair which flowed down to her waist.

He felt his breath hitch at the sight of the beauty, and he froze in his place. The spectators were curious as to what he was looking at, and turned to see the girl who was the heroine of the Alice War.

_Mikan… it's you, isn't it?_ People who recognised her in the audience gasped and excitedly told their acquaintances. Within the group of graduates, her friends were all sporting surprised expressions, besides Hotaru.

"Is that… is that Sakura?!" Ruka asked in disbelief, in which Hotaru responded with her usual monotonous voice.

"Who do you think it is, Nogi? For a Special Star, you sure are slow."

"Sakura-san?!"

"It's Mikan-chan! So pretty!"

"Wow, Sakura really did come!"

"Look at Natsume-san. He's stoned."

Indeed he was - the beautiful figure inhaled sharply before lifting the rim of her hat, revealing the eyes he longed to meet for seven years. She mouthed something unintelligible, but he knew for sure that she was saying his name.

"Natsume…" The dog beside her looked up at her blissful face, her eyes filled with glee. It came to the realisation that this woman was the famous heroine of whom it had heard about from the students. Hyuuga Natsume's lover, Mikan.

She watched all of her former classmates as they all cheered at the end of the ceremony. Mikan was still recovering from the embarrassment of everyone looking at her thanks to Natsume's inability to move after seeing her.

She watched all of her former classmates as they all cheered at the end of the ceremony. Mikan was still recovering from the embarrassment of everyone looking at her thanks to Natsume's inability to move after seeing her. It was the time for family to reunite with their sons and daughters, so Mikan decided it wasn't her time to interrupt such important moments. Instead, she hung her hat on a nearby tree and made her way towards one of her favourite places in the Academy.

"Nii-chan!" A sixteen year old Aoi called out to Natsume, followed by Ioran and Yoichi - who had been allowed to attend due to his large involvement in the Alice War. He embraced them all, including Yoichi who was in the midst of puberty and 'being too cool for hugs', but he was itching talk to Mikan again.

His little sister seemed to notice his tension. "Nii-chan, that was Mikan-san right? The pretty girl you saw before." He didn't answer, instead scanning the area for her. Unfortunately, she was nowhere in sight. _She couldn't have left yet, she isn't like that…_

"Go, nii-san. We can tell you want to see her." Yoichi spoke up, smirking at his older brother of whom he saw as his role model.

Ioran looked confused about the conversation between the three teenagers. "She's his girlfriend? What is this, I didn't know-"

"Dad, that's enough. Nii-chan, go ahead. We'll go pester Ruka-nii while you're gone." Finally, he obliged - he made his way towards the back while looking around. An odd flash of white caught his eye - he recognised it as the hat Mikan wore before, hung on the tree. Carefully, he hooked it off the branch, and he analysed it suspiciously. _Why would she leave her hat here? _He traced the rim of the hat, when he found an odd point near the ribbon.

It was a piece of clumsily torn paper. _Heh, expected from Mikan. _

_**You finished? You probably can guess where I am - we spent most of our times here.**_

_**-M**_

He didn't need to guess. As soon as he finished reading, he sprinted towards the place where he was before the ceremony - the Sakura tree.

* * *

**Eight**

There she was, facing away from him, at the Sakura tree where they had spent their closest moments under as children. He as an angry boy with a threatening façade, she the ball of sunshine transfer student with pigtails and polka-dotted panties. Natsume had always known that she was pretty in a way, but the woman he saw in front of him was indeed no joke. It was Mikan, without a doubt, but it was an _older _Mikan.

She was no longer the elementary school girl from years ago. She had grown considerably. Her hair had been let down as he liked it, she was also much taller - but not as tall as Natsume - and to his amusement, even Mikan had gone through puberty and no longer had a flat board chest.

He walked up to her from behind, and gave her a back hug. Natsume could feel her gasp from his sudden move, and as she turned her head her gaze locked with his own. Even though she had changed, her eyes hadn't changed much. They retained the youth and vigour from the old days, and said pair of eyes lit up as she saw his face close to her own. She opened her moth to speak, but he beat her to it.

"It's been seven years, yet you're still wearing polka-dotted panties?" He joked as he pulled up her dress for a peek. Mikan's eyes enlarged slightly at his daring action, and she immediately backed away from him while keeping her skirt down.

"Ugh, Natsume! Is that a way to greet me after a long time?!" She screeched as her face flushed red, her annoyance growing when he smirked at her expression. "Jeez, I was going to say that you've changed, but it's obviously the opposite! Really, you're seriously becoming the death of me no matter how old you are." She continued to complain about his perverted antics for another few minutes, unable to cease scolding him even after a long separation.

"Well I didn't need to see you to know that you haven't changed. Once an idiot, always an idiot." He decided to say, though in truth he was indeed worried about how she could have changed after a while. He was somewhat relieved that she was still the same klutz he loved. He was meaning for his words to sound like him voicing his relief.

Of course, Mikan didn't comprehend as she puffed her cheeks in frustration. "Tch, there you go again with those continuous insults! First I find a meanie poop taxi driver who refused to go one kilometre over the speed limit, now you're attacking me with insults instead of greeting me properly! You should be thankful I came to your graduation to save you the stress of look-" Natsume could no longer take the babbling of his cute girlfriend, and he silenced her by grabbing her shoulders and immediately kissing her on the lips. One of his arms wrapped around her waist tightly, his free hand pinching her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Mikan felt her irritation start to settle as she sank into the depths of the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. _Seriously, what this guy's kisses do to me. Why do I always let him have his way? _Even though she was ranting in her mind, she had no complaints as his arm's grip around her small waist tightened. Natsume was pleased to see that she had more curves to hold on to, and now that they were late in their teenage years, he was free to do whatever he wanted with her.

For the two lovers, it seemed like they were kissing for hours. They pulled away simultaneously, out of breath, but their holds on each other did not budge.

"I am thankful for what you've done. How could I not? It means that I was able to see my girlfriend sooner." He whispered as his thumb started to caress her pink cheek. She was confused by his words.

"Thankful for what?" At her question, Natsume huffed in amusement while Mikan was clueless. "Seriously, I don't get it."

"Looks like you've forgotten about everything you said before I kissed you." Mikan growled under her breath at his correct observation. She had no clue what she was talking about previously. "You're more daring as well, hmph. Holding me like this, it's like you've been diagnosed with the Prince Charming syndrome… doing whatever you want, whenever you want." She decided to complain once again, but this time she had lowered her voice to a mere mutter.

"Of course. You're my girlfriend- no, _fiancee..._" He emphasised, reminding her of their Alice stone exchange as youths, "...so I have a right to do this. And seeming as we haven't seen each other for a long time, why are you complaining?" She pursed her lips, knowing that he was - as always - correct.

"Fine. Be like that. Do whatever you want. Now if you'll excuse me-" He interrupted her for the second time as he pulled her close to his chest for a hug. His arms felt tenser than before during the kiss, and all he wanted was for Mikan to stay with him in such close proximity forever.

"I missed you a lot, did I tell you that?" She mumbled in his ear, evidently blissful in comparison to moments ago.

"You didn't. You didn't tell me you loved me either. I want to hear you say it." Her face immediately morphed into a dumbfounded expression.

"Again? You're so sadistic, it isn't even funny…" She sighed as she leaned her head on his chest. "Fine… I love you, you pervert." She couldn't see it, but he smiled softly as he heard the words he had longed for.

"I love you, Sakura Mikan… forever and always."

Unbeknownst to them, a small white dog watched the couple in their moment. It was wagging its short tail excitedly as it observed Natsume pull Mikan into an embrace. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps against the grass crept up from behind him. The puppy ignored the person as it continued to watch the couple, until it heard the stranger's voice.

"What are you doing, Kaori-chan?" It - or you could say _she_ - flinched at the sound of Ruka's voice behind her. _Crap, I've been caught. Again. _She nervously turned her small head towards her senior, who did not seem that angry.

"How did you know, Ruka-senpai?" She asked him, since she was able to talk with a normal voice though she was in the body of an animal.

"You didn't react at all to my pheromones, since you're human after all." _Ah, I should have thought about this beforehand. _"Don't worry about getting into trouble, I'm no longer a student here at the Academy. I'll keep your secret." Her joints relaxed at his assurance, and she turned back to the couple.

"So that's the infamous Sakura Mikan, huh?" To Kaori, Sakura Mikan was indeed like how her senpai had described her. As soon as she had been patted by the brunette, she knew somehow that this person was special. She had gotten hints from her words about Sumire or 'Permy', but she had realised her real identity as soon as Mikan had locked eyes with Natsume. Kaori had finally managed to see for herself the heroine of the Alice War, to her amazement.

"Yeah. It looks like it's going well with Natsume."

"Really? They were arguing about his perversion and insults a few minutes ago." She had actually watched the whole scene develop, and she was rather confused by the two and their actions. Ruka laughed softly at her observation.

"Don't worry, that's their type of relationship. They've been rivals from the day they met. It's only natural that they continue their antics when they meet again." She nodded once as she watched the couple kiss again, and she decided to avert her eyes for good measure.

"She's beautiful. They really do love each other, don't they?" Kaori's puppy body froze at the realisation of what she had said in front of _Ruka_, the one who was still in love with her. She slowly turned back to the blonde, but to her surprise his expression didn't appear angry, jealous, foul, but rather he looked really happy watching his crush and his best friend kiss.

"Yeah. Like no other couple I know of." He looked down and tenderly grinned at the girl-turned-dog. _Ruka-senpai… to have the strength to watch that and still be so happy… he's strong. He's my role model. _"Well, I think we should get back. Seeming as Sakura will come, too." He motioned towards the couple making their way towards them. "Let's go, Kaori-chan." He called as he made his way to where his classmates were, and Kaori immediately followed on all fours.

_Sakura Mikan… now I realise that she isn't a __**legend**__, she's just a regular teenager… but she really is __**something amazing**__. I haven't even exchanged words with her, yet she's someone that I admire. It seems that I admire lots of people - Sumire-senpai, Ruka-senpai, Sakura-san, sometimes even Hyuuga-senpai. But it can't be helped - this year's graduating grade is probably the best to ever do so, I believe. Almost everyone in that class is strong and admirable, and unlike the rest of the students in the Academy, the class is not only a class - but a large group of friends who shared the same painful and memorable experiences from the same Alice War. And even though she wasn't here for seven years, I feel that Sakura Mikan was the centre of the group. She was the one who helped bond all my amazing senpai, but she wasn't quite the nucleus of a cell. Even though she had left the Academy, the class' friendships did not fade away- actually, no. Even if Sakura-san left, she had always been with the class from beginning to end, though not physically. And as I watch said person in the flowing white dress and heels running towards her awaiting classmates, I know that she had never left the class. Though she isn't in it physically, she is a student of Alice Academy. She always will be._

_That is the one thing I am sure of._

* * *

**_A/N: ..._**

**_..._**

**_.._**

**_._**

**_...Wow._**

**_That took so much effort to write, I'm exhausted._**

**_I don't know, but after reading Chapter 166 of Gakuen Alice I felt like writing this. Then that feeling turned into a desire. Then eventually, a need._**

**_I honestly have no life, I was writing this the whole weekend. Heeeheee. _**

**_So yeah, I tried a new writing style - mainly the OC's point of view, and I made them a little more significant in this story. What do you think of my two main OCs, Kaori and the *dun dun dun dun* Taxi Driver? Mwahahaha._**

**_So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to work. Man that sounds cool. It's actually Work Experience rather than work. At a real estate office. XD_**

**_Possible prequel? Dunno, what do you think?_**


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